


When Fire Burns Ice

by WeissGrayBlu



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gratsu - Freeform, Hero Complex, M/M, Mental Anguish, One Shot, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 04:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20924315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeissGrayBlu/pseuds/WeissGrayBlu
Summary: Natsu only wants to do right by Gray, even if that means breaking his mate's heart.





	When Fire Burns Ice

Natsu had never felt this level of hurt in his entire life. Before now he never believed Igneel was dead, and he had been right. His father, miraculously, had been living inside of him. But now the Fire King Dragon was really gone. Something he had witnessed himself and now, all he craved was the warmth of his boyfriend’s arms. The biggest shock to ever hit Fairy Tail was when Natsu Dragneel asked out Gray Fullbuster. Only rivalled by the time Gray Fullbuster agreed to date Natsu Dragneel.

Natsu believed that Gray was what led him to find Fairy Tail in the first place all those years ago. Stupid dragon senses had never led him astray in his entire life. Even before he knew what a mate was he was being led to find the stubborn ice maker mage who would infuriate Natsu’s heart with the type of undeniable bond they had. He knew it had taken Gray longer to figure out their connection, so he had waited. But Natsu was not patient by any means, so that often led the two mages to clash. When Natsu wanted to wrap his arms around his mate, he would find himself brawling with him instead. During their tumultuous time of puberty, Natsu had questioned his attraction to Gray who seemed to always say just the right thing to piss Natsu off. But Natsu continued to wait some more before finally sensing Gray was ready too; both done with living apart from the other. 

But that had still taken some time, especially since Gray always liked to play off his emotions as weak even though Natsu could read him better than that. The arrival of Juvia Lockser was an exhausting and nerve-wracking hinderance to Natsu’s waiting plan since she stalked his mate wherever they went and Gray couldn’t convince her he wasn’t interested. Natsu had even caught her scent on some of the jobs they had been on with the team, but he swallowed his anger and instead let her trail farther behind. He didn’t want to confuse Gray further or push him to concede to her infatuation since Gray was the placating type. 

The only other thing that ever made Natsu want to confess his undying love before Gray was ready was the fact that Gray had a self-sacrificing complex. He knew that damn spell Natsu forbid him from using at Galuna Island but Natsu wasn’t fooled to believe Gray wouldn’t use it again if he was pushed. Now Gray had his father’s magic, something powerful that sent Natsu’s senses into overdrive. 

Natsu had just lost his father for real this time and somehow Gray had lost his father for a second time. Both of their father’s had resurfaced only to die in front of their sons and Natsu could feel the grief coming off of Gray even though Gray was far away from Magnolia. 

Natsu hated the decision he had made that only Happy knew about. Happy had reluctantly agreed but didn’t fully know the reason behind it. Natsu figured this made Happy resent him even more, voicing his disapproval of what he was about to do to Gray. In Happy’s eyes, Gray was just a part of this family as him and Natsu. Happy had even slyly started suggesting that Gray move into their cabin. The first time he had offhandedly suggested this, Gray spit his cereal across the table in surprise. But Natsu had just smiled and not said anything, knowing it was best for Gray to come around to these kind of things on his own. Natsu was content with just having Gray by his side, which is why Natsu felt he deserved Happy’s disapproval. For what he was about to do was unforgivable.

When he arrived at the small wreck of a town, he couldn’t hold back his growl when he smelled the water mage was here as well. His ears picked up on Gray’s sobbing and instantly he felt his feet running before he could tell his body not to. For what he was about to do he didn’t want to rush to his fate. But Gray was in mourning and Natsu wanted to see him despite everything.

“Natsu, what are you doing here?” Juvia looked up but didn’t stop holding Gray who was knelt down in the snow, sobbing unabashedly.

“I need to speak to Gray, alone,” Natsu said through barred teeth.

He was feeling possessive but he tried to soften it since he didn’t want Juvia to go too far. Gray would need a friend after their conversation, even if Natsu suspected Juvia might worm her way into Gray’s fragile heart after Natsu exposed it.

Gray didn’t say anything but moved over when Juvia finally let go and clung himself to Natsu with a powerful grip. Natsu felt tears pang the back of his eyes as he felt Gray’s grief and felt sick to his stomach that he was about to add to it instead of helping Gray like he so badly wanted to. He wanted both of them to grieve their fallen fathers together and learn how to pick themselves back up. But Natsu knew this was bigger than both of them and Gray didn’t need to be brought into it. Even though Natsu couldn’t protect Gray from himself, he could protect him from this and that was more important. Or at least that’s what he kept reminding himself as Gray sat vulnerable in his arms and Natsu felt himself internally protesting against his own decision.

“I’m sorry Natsu. I’m sorry about Igneel. I’m sorry I left,” Gray’s voice was still emotional but he calmed himself enough to speak and look up at the fire mage.

Natsu internally swore and hated himself even more. A tiny part of him felt happy Gray left before Natsu could seek him out right after Igneel died. A small detail to justify this huge life-altering decision Natsu was about to make. But of course Gray apologised and Natsu immediately forgave him. He was never upset at Gray for seeking solace when he was overwhelmed. It was something he always did and Natsu would never fault him for it. And now Natsu had no justification for his own decision. Except that it would help save Gray. Breaking Gray’s heart would be worth it if Gray survived; _ right? _

“Gray I have something I need to tell you,” Natsu steeled himself, knowing he had to do this quick or he would change his mind.

Gray just looked up at him and collected himself to pay attention to his boyfriend. 

“I have to go away for a while,” Natsu started explaining and felt horrified when Gray piqued at this and looked relieved. 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Listen Natsu, my father told me I need to find END and kill it. If we—” but Natsu shook his head at this and Gray frowned.

“Not _ we _ Gray. I’m leaving with Happy; _ just _Happy,” Natsu froze out all his emotions and watched as a tortured expression crossed Gray’s face.

“I’m not weak Natsu! I just had to come back here and make sure my father was at rest. I’m up for anything Natsu, we’ll get stronger together. We’ll find a way to bring END down together,” Gray’s grief was fueling his rage and this was something Natsu had more been expecting. 

“Gray, I’m breaking up with you, so just stop. I’m not going back to Magnolia. I just stopped off here as a formality. We’ll come back in a year maybe, if we find what I’m looking for,” Natsu made his voice sound indifferent and invited the painful sting Gray’s horrified expression brought. 

He deserved to feel Gray’s abhorrence. He wanted to see Gray’s anger and feel his own self-hatred because to acknowledge just how much he was hurting Gray might kill him, not that he didn’t deserve that too.

“A formality! You fucking bastard! I was fucking in love with you Natsu and all I deserve is a goddamn fucking formality!” Natsu didn’t miss that Gray said _ was, _like his love was already past tense.

That was good. Natsu would continue to carry a torch for his mate while Gray would be free to move on. That was a good thing, a long-term torture that Natsu deserved. 

“See you ‘round Snowflake,” Natsu got up, leaving his heartbroken mate in the snow before he turned around and followed the distant scent of Happy. 

He also felt relief that Juvia was close by, disguising herself as a frozen puddle. She wouldn’t let Gray revert back to his more physical forms of handling stress and loss. He only hoped that Gray wouldn’t mark his body with the physical scars that would show the emotional ones Natsu had just left. 

XX

Gray felt terrible for leaning on Juvia so much. Not that he ever answered her whenever she asked him what was wrong, which wasn’t quite as often as it had been five months ago. He couldn’t confess how much Natsu had hurt him because if he opened that tight vault of emotions it would never shut. 

Gray wasn’t oblivious to Juvia’s affections either. It wasn’t like she was very subtle about it, especially the few times she knocked on his bedroom door and asked if he wanted her to join him. He always very awkwardly turned her away and then she would act like nothing happened the next morning. So after running into Erza in the forest on his way back from Porlyusica’s, it seemed extremely fortuitous that she was offering him a lead to find END while also giving him a mission where he would need to act like a dark wizard. 

He didn’t admit it, but he liked the idea of giving into the recesses of his mind and letting himself feel the hate his heart demanded. He had lost his father and the love of his life in concession and he couldn’t forgive the world yet for taking so much away from him.

When Porlyusica explained his father’s magic to him, he felt his body was finally as cursed as his soul. He still got vivid nightmares about his childhood; having to watch his parents and entire town destroyed with him as the only survivor. And then years later to learn to love again only to have Ur die at the hands of the same demon Gray so impulsively went after. 

But to rub salt in his wounds Silver appeared before him for a few fleeting moments only for him to die again. Of course he didn’t want his father to suffer anymore, but he was horrified to find out his father had been resuscitated by a necromancer to walk the earth as a pillager for so many years. And then Natsu took the rest of his soul away when he told him he was going away and didn’t want Gray by his side. 

So, already letting the darkness course through his soul, he abandoned Juvia without returning to give her some half-assed excuse and instead walked towards Avatar with a spark of purpose he had been running after ever since Silver told him to kill END. If anything, he would carry out his father’s final request.

XX

“Natsu? Natsu!” Happy’s voice broke through his nightmare, sending him back to his just-as-painful reality. 

The fire mage flailed in his sleeping bag before he successfully flung it off his sweaty body. Happy had backed off of Natsu’s pillow, the fire mage hoping he hadn’t flailed his little buddy in his sleep. 

“Another bad dream?” Happy’s voice was blatantly worried and Natsu knew he had given him plenty to worry about.

When they had lived together on the outskirts of Magnolia, Natsu hardly ever had nightmares. Of course he got the odd one like everyone else, but this one plagued his dreams most nights now and kept Natsu from getting enough sleep. 

What made it worse was that the dream always started from reality. It was always Natsu running towards Gray in the ice mage’s hometown, embracing him as they both cried over their fallen fathers. But then Natsu would say the words he always hated, where he broke Gray’s heart and crushed him. The look on his ex-boyfriend’s face still haunted him, watching as Gray hid his anguish with anger and hate. When Natsu left Gray over the graves of his parents, Natsu didn’t look back at the mess he had just made. But the dream would always progress further, showing Natsu his worst fears. Like Gray leaving Fairy Tail himself to go rogue and on those types of jobs not brought to reputable guilds. Or Gray going off on an S class mission by himself, only to sacrifice himself in a bloody mess. When those dreams started happening, Natsu first woke up and would puke up his guts. Happy thought he was sick for the first few months they were away and always pushed Natsu to go see a doctor. But thankfully that had at least stopped, even though Natsu still got chills about what he saw. He always had to placate his fears and tell himself that Gray was an incredibly strong wizard who wouldn’t give up a fight so easily. He just ignored the pressing thoughts that told him Gray always fought better when they were side by side. It was the same for Natsu, who missed Gray in so many ways, the aching in his chest had just turned numb.

He looked down at his arm and he could see the markings of Igneel’s power etched onto it. He usually wrapped it up every morning to keep it a secret weapon. 

Natsu felt guilty, knowing he already had what he had come out here looking for. He wanted so desperately to go back to Fairy Tail and train with Gray and the others. He knew they would also have gotten stronger and would be able to help him hone his new powers. But he couldn’t give his secret away yet. So his personal timeline was that he would go find Fairy Tail at the Grand Magic Games in just over two months from now. He had already been away from home for nearly ten but thought that such an entrance back into the guild would fit his personal image. He wondered what Gray would think of him, seeing how much stronger he had gotten. But then Natsu felt a new stab in his chest, knowing exactly what Gray would think of him when he came back. He would hate him, worse than their childhood rivalry. Gray would look at him with contempt and anger, that would maybe fade overtime into indifference or tolerance if Natsu was lucky. If not Gray would continue to hate him and nothing else would change.

“Natsu?” Happy’s worried voice cut through his self-deprecating thoughts.

“Yea little buddy?” Natsu put on a false smile but knew Happy wasn’t buying it.

They had been friends for too long for Happy to be fooled so easily. 

“Gray will forgive you, you know,” Happy’s sudden wisdom took Natsu by surprise. 

Neither of them had mentioned Gray since they set out on this quest. Natsu knew Happy didn’t say anything mostly out of his own grief. Natsu could see clearly that Happy missed Gray and the little family they had created together. Gray and Happy had their own relationship and Natsu had also damaged that out of collateral. 

“Not this time, Happy. But Gray isn’t mad at you so you guys can still be friends like before,” Natsu didn’t let his pain seep into his voice from his weeping heart.

But Happy frowned at this before moving to get up for the day since the sun had just risen over the horizon during their conversation. 

“I miss Gray,” Happy sighed as he unwrapped a fish Natsu had caught yesterday.

Natsu sighed and dipped his head, too tired to give his answer. He missed Gray too.

XX

Gray didn’t necessarily like being a part of Avatar. Its members were a bunch of evil idiots who worshipped Zeref of all people. But Gray did like the consistency of their crazy. He knew how to fit in around them, but Natsu had to ruin another good thing in his life. Well maybe not a good thing, but something he didn’t want to end. Natsu was always ending things he didn’t want to end.

Now that his cover was blown and the Avatar guild was obliterated, Gray really didn’t have much of an alternative than to go back to Fairy Tail. He also hated how easily Juvia forgave him, instantly fighting by his side like he hadn’t left her alone without so much as a word. Gray thought Juvia was a little too good at pretending things hadn’t actually happened. 

But Gray also wouldn’t give Natsu the opportunity to talk. His arm was wrapped and he looked all pouty, even though he had just taken down a giant. He was standing off to the side but Gray went over to see Rogue and Sting instead, hugging Frosh to give him some comfort after seeing Natsu a year after he broke his heart. 

Things didn’t get any better once Fairy Tail was reinstated and everyone moved back to Magnolia. Lucy was happy to have gotten mostly everyone to come back, but it left Gray feeling hollow. He wasn’t any closer to finding END, although he had learned the very spell to take it down. Gray wanted to head out on his own and find the demon, take it down once and for all; and become forgotten along the way.

But Fairy Tail needed him right now; one last time and Gray couldn’t turn his back on his family even though that’s what he wanted to do to Natsu.

Surprisingly the fire breather was giving him some space. He hadn’t been pushy or demanding like Gray had expected. But he was being secretive about his arm which was really pissing Gray off. He wanted to know what was so special that could take down Zeref, and maybe a little disappointed Natsu had succeeded in finding what he had set out to do without Gray by his side. 

XX

On the night before Alvarez was set to invade, Gray felt restless and alone. Juvia had wanted to walk with him but he had given her a more honest answer this time. He told her he couldn’t think of his feelings right now and risk losing focus, but also that it was unlikely he would ever want to fall in love again. Juvia was understanding as always and let Gray be alone in peace. 

But Gray was too lost in thought to hear someone else approach him.

“Hey snowflake,” Natsu’s voice was quiet but it still made Gray jump and turn around.

Gray wanted to yell at Natsu, curse him out for scaring him but he was too angry to form any words. His anger for Natsu had been stewing for a year and now looking at his ex, all he felt was hatred. 

And Gray knew Natsu could see it too from the hurt look on his face. 

“I just wanted to see you before this war starts… but maybe that was a bad idea,” Natsu’s head sunk down in disappointment and he turned to leave.

But suddenly Gray didn’t want Natsu to leave. He would rather ream him out and stare accusingly at him than have him turn his back again. 

“Wait-” Gray whispered but wasn’t surprised when Natsu stopped in his retreat.

Both men stood rooted in place without moving for several minutes. Gray still didn’t know what he wanted to say and Natsu didn’t want to say the wrong thing and have Gray send him away. He would take the heavy silence over being cast away. But before either of them could form a sentence, the Alvarez troops landed and Natsu was summoned as part of the first attack. But before Happy carried Natsu off he called back to Gray.

“Just don’t die,” Natsu pleaded and Gray finally looked up to see the desperation in Natsu’s expression.

Happy had tears in his eyes seeing the two men in so much pain but no one else said anything and Natsu disappeared with Happy into the night sky.

XX

Gray was seeing red. He didn’t love Juvia like she loved him. He had welcomed death as a heroic sacrifice for his teammate. He felt disappointed he wouldn’t get to fulfill his father’s promise, but he was alright dying to save a member of Fairy Tail. So when Juvia stabbed herself during that fight he was upset that they would both be dying. Gray wanted Juvia to move on and find happiness, maybe with Lyon. His foster brother seemed to have a thing for her and could probably make her happy. A Fairy Tail without Gray would learn to carry on and he would have died a heroic death.

But as Juvia lay bleeding beside him, he only revelled in the fact that he would still die. He knew that once upon a time it was Natsu’s worst fear that Gray would get himself killed. He would never commit suicide, but a self-sacrifice in the heat of battle was how Gray expected his life to end. Here he would still get that and the pain would finally go away.

But Natsu’s last request popped in his head and he couldn’t help feeling guilt rise up that he would be breaking that promise. But he hadn’t promised. Natsu had just demanded something of him he wasn’t willing to agree to. So when he woke up to a bright light, Gray felt a great relief for a moment believing that he was dead. But as he surveyed his surroundings he saw that wasn’t the case. Juvia had given him her last bit of power and now she was dying so that he could live.

Instead of allowing him to die, he now had Juvia’s death as an added burden on his heart. It somehow hurt more that he had never returned her feelings because how was his life supposed to be worth more than hers. He had abandoned her in that forest to join Avatar on purpose. He had rejected her advances hundreds of times over the years and had finally now lost everything. Even the girl who saw more in him than he ever saw in himself had just given her life for his and now he would have to live with that guilt forever. 

He easily found the Spriggan mage after Juvia died in his arms and he made quick work of him with his Devil Slayer’s ice. The Spriggan wasn’t expecting to go up against his grievous rage and was soon knocked down on the ground. But his parting words stifled any hope Gray could have imagined in his heart. He hadn’t realised he might have been holding some sort of invisible torch for Natsu, thinking there might be some small possibility of reconciling with his ex once this war was over. But now that was impossible. The one thing—man—Silver had told Gray to rid this world of was none other than the man he had once loved and who abandoned him one year ago. 

Gray let that loss and loneliness fuel his rage and hatred and he blocked out the conscience at the back of his mind that was screaming for him to stop. Instead Gray took determined steps towards the guildhall looking for Natsu. Gray told himself he no longer loved Natsu because there was no way he could love a demon. He was a demon slayer after all, proving they were incompatible once again and destined to be each other’s demise. 

XX

Natsu was seeing red. He couldn’t focus on the world around him, only felt the pull that he knew would lead him to the guildhall. 

The back of Natsu’s mind itched with familiarity, that he had felt this pull at one time a long time ago, but he couldn’t focus his mind to figure it out. He had to kill Zeref, like that was what he was born to do and he would happily oblige. 

“Gray?” the man with a blackened arm stepped in front of Natsu’s path. 

Natsu felt a visceral anger in his chest, causing him to growl at the man who was suddenly in his way. He thought maybe this was the man that he had once felt the pull towards. Flashes of a relationship that filled him with infinite happiness popped into his head but he refused to focus on it. He needed to destroy Zeref and this man—Gray—was standing in his way. 

“Natsu, or should I call you END?” Gray’s voice was livid, matching the amount of rage Natsu felt flowing through his own body.

Natsu tried to walk around the man. As annoyed as he was with his presence his mind was telling him to leave him alone and deal with him later. But Gray stepped in front of him and immediately launched an ice attack. 

Natsu snarled, annoyed to be hindered from his very important task. Didn’t the ice mage know how vital it was to kill Zeref, so why was he in his way wasting valuable time? 

The easiest way to get to Zeref was to knock this guy down and walk around him. So Natsu geared up and went to land a punch on him. But this man was far more powerful than Natsu was expecting and it soon turned into a battle to the death. Natsu felt a hot rage pool through him that he was being delayed from his task to kill Zeref, but another part of him deep inside was screaming that he didn’t want this man to die.

But before Natsu could make any sense of the contradiction inside of him Erza appeared and stopped their fight. The tears falling down her face startled Natsu back to the present and he immediately felt disgusted with himself that he had tried to kill his mate; the one he loved more than anything else. 

Natsu wanted desperately to walk the few paces in front of him to embrace Gray but his feet could no longer move. So instead he watched Juvia limp over and do it instead as Gray passed out in her arms. Natsu was vaguely aware that Lucy was behind him, wrapping her arms around him as he too fell unconscious. 

XX

When Gray woke up and saw Lucy draped over Natsu, neither of them wearing clothes, it hurt more than he ever wanted to admit. It was like the relationship he had once shared with Natsu was moot and someone else had taken his place. But as much as Natsu had hurt him, Gray wanted him to have a life without him. Gray would take himself out of the equation and the rest of his family would move on to live fulfilled lives. Gray didn’t need to be a part of that equation for that to happen. He knew what he had to do.

He quietly left the basement he had woken up in and slowly made his way to the guildhall. Once he finally made it, he didn’t take Zeref’s words personally when he scoffed at him and told him he never would have expected Gray to be the one to arrive to face him. But Gray knew it had to be him, because he had learned the spell to take down END. And now that END was the man he loved, he would use the ancient spell to take out Zeref instead. 

Gray reveled in the fact that Zeref actually looked scared when Gray got into formation and cast the spell. Despite all of Zeref’s taunts that this spell wouldn’t actually kill him, Gray didn’t miss the anxious tone or expression that gave away Zeref’s true feelings on the matter. 

Gray could feel his body start to deteriorate and smiled as he only thought of his good memories. Most were from his time with Fairy Tail, but he also remembered Ur and Lyon and his parents. But mostly it was Natsu. Despite the agony he had felt over the last year, Gray couldn’t deny that he had had his best times being Natsu’s mate. He had loved him so unabashedly, at least in private, and felt so much of his burdens lift when he had someone to support him. 

But just as he was about to give himself entirely over to the spell, he felt himself being knocked off his feet.

“GRAY!” Natsu shouted and Gray was momentarily confused about how Natsu was here at all. “I told you not to die! I told you not to use that fucking spell!” 

Gray felt his eyes water out of so many different emotions. He wanted to embrace Natsu, beat him, argue with him. But in the end he just yelled at Natsu on why he wouldn’t just let Gray save Fairy Tail and make it easier on everyone so they wouldn’t mourn him.

“Do you think I would forget you Gray? Do you really believe any of us want to forget you? I love you, you stupid bastard!” Natsu’s angry declaration rendered Gray momentarily speechless, enough time for Zeref to step in and recapture Natsu’s attention.

XX 

Lucy opened the book of END and all three of them were taken aback at the red letters that immediately filled the space around them. Gray couldn’t help staring at them, unable to contemplate that these letters somehow made up Natsu’s life. Gray became mesmerised but soon noticed the letters started to take form around him. 

“Gray... it’s you,” Lucy whispered in awe, obviously able to see the same images of him and Natsu blurring together before them.

“Aye sir,” Happy said in quiet agreeance, staring intently in wonder.

“What is this?” Gray asked dumbfounded.

All three of them continued to stare, watching thousands of images of a raven haired boy living side-by-side with a salmon-haired boy. Sometimes the glimpses of the raven-haired boy looked slightly different, like maybe they could have been previous versions of Gray. 

“Oh my goddess, Gray. It’s always been you,” Lucy whispered. “Natsu’s been alive for four hundred years and your previous lives are still here, written in this book. You’re his mate and he’s always loved you. You were always waiting for him since he crossed through the Eclipse Gate,” Lucy said in breathless wonder.

Gray let that heavy statement fill up between them and with it brought many of the unshed tears Gray hadn’t let himself feel over the past year. He could hear himself sobbing now but was unable to stop it.

“Gray, Natsu decided to leave because he didn’t want you to get hurt,” Happy explained but this only brought more tears and louder sobs. 

Gray was frustrated and angry at being left behind, and so, so hurt. He wasn’t even that surprised to hear Natsu’s break-up had been noble, but he still thought it was stupid. They were bound in destiny, for eternity, so why did Natsu think they would be safer apart?

“Natsu thought that whatever he found to take down Zeref would be deadly and he didn’t want it to kill you,” Happy was crying now too, as the images faded back into red letters that still swirled around them. 

Natsu was an idiot, this Gray knew undoubtedly. So he shouldn’t be surprised that Natsu’s plan had been to save Gray, even though it was the wrong choice for both of them. But suddenly Gray also felt he could forgive Natsu, maybe after a good brawl or two to get his frustration out. But he loved his dragon slayer, and now he undoubtedly knew that his dragon slayer loved him. 

Lucy was able to re-write the pages of END and Gray was relieved it was finally over. 

“Gray?” the ice mage whipped around at the sudden sound of the fire mage’s voice. 

But his mate wasn’t standing there. He was actually nowhere to be found.

“Natsu?” Gray called out and Lucy and Happy joined in, telling Gray they had heard Natsu as well.

But Natsu and the other dragon slayers had disappeared from Earthland altogether and Gray resolved himself to bringing Natsu back. He helped Lucy with her plan, joining forces with Lyon to carry it out. Instead of wanting to sacrifice himself, he fought hard to live and see Natsu come home. 

XX

“Gray?” this time Gray whipped around even faster and saw Natsu standing only a few feet away.

Gray ran forward and crushed himself into Natsu’s chest. He was too relieved to see Natsu to punch him, but that would probably come later. He had a lot of pent up rage that he wanted to unleash, plus he was curious to test out just how powerful Natsu had become against his own strength. 

“You’re such a bastard,” Gray spoke into Natsu’s shoulder as he tightened his grip even more so Natsu couldn’t back away.

“And you’re an idiot for wanting to sacrifice yourself!” Natsu retorted in frustration.

“Well it’s better than breaking my heart just to protect me! What the hell were you even trying to protect me from, huh?” Gray asked angrily, pushing back the tears that he refused to let drip onto Natsu’s skin. 

“I know it was stupid. I know I hurt you… but I just thought after everything that happened that it might be better for you to stay and for me to go,” Natsu gave his pathetic excuse and Gray sunk his fingers into Natsu’s arms.

“So you made my choice for me?” Natsu flinched under Gray and Gray finally lifted his head to meet Natsu’s gaze.

The other man’s eyes were also coated with a shiny layer of tears. Gray was still angry but also relieved to finally know how to handle this.

“Since you decided the last major decision for our relationship, I get to make this one,” Gray stated seriously and Natsu nodded. 

“I guess that’s fair,” Natsu’s tone was uneasy.

Gray stayed silent for a few moments to let Natsu sweat.

“We are getting back together,” Gray started and watched Natsu’s expression turn from uneasy to ecstatic. 

“Really Gray, you’re willing to take me back?” Natsu asked hopefully but Gray put up his hand to indicate he wasn’t done. “And we’re going to move in together. Into my apartment, not that creaky cabin. But Happy can also move in or choose to stay at the cabin or split his time between both, whatever he wants. And we’re going to eat dinner every night together, and eat things other than fish and fire,” Natsu’s eyes were wide with amazement by this point.

“Is there anything else?” Natsu asked, trying to shove his hyper elation down so as not to ruin the moment.

“Just one. You can never break up with me again,” Gray said this with a deadly stare and a serious voice.

Natsu put his hand over his chest solemnly and agreed by saying he would never do something so stupid and careless again.

Finally, Gray was satisfied and pulled Natsu into a kiss filled with lust and need and desire. Both men had craved this, the feeling of fire and ice melting and solidifying into each other. Fairy Tail’s most surprising couple were back together and after taking down Alvarez, Zeref and Acnologia, everything was set right again. 


End file.
